Harry Potter and Merlin's Heir
by missmissa85
Summary: A Post-DH tale. Harry and Company, which now includes Ginny, Neville, and Luna, set off for Australia to find Hermione's parents and bring them home. But they find far more than they bargained for Down Under.
1. Chapter 1

**Harry Potter and Merlin's Heir**

By Missmissa85

It had been over a week since Volemort's defeat, and Harry had only spent one night out of Hogwart's castle in that time. He had gone to The Burrow to join Fred's brothers in laying him to rest. Harry, Bill, Charlie, Percy, George, and Ron solemnly and dutifully led the procession of Fred's many friends and family whilst carrying his body to his freshly dug grave.

Afterward, the solemn proceedings turned into a bit of a party, courtesy of George, who insisted no one cry after the service. People laughed as they remembered Fred and George's ridiculous antics at school and at home and on the Quidditch pitch. But Harry hadn't felt like laughing. He escaped to Ron's room and wept. He wept for anyone and everyone he had ever known and loved and a few he didn't know to well, like Snape and his parents. Nothing could silence the sobs as they shook his entire being.

He felt like he'd been sprawled on Ron's floor weeping like a baby for days, but in truth, it had only been a couple of hours at most. He didn't notice her at first, but Ginny was by his side and stroking his messy hair. Harry told her everything about the last year; the Horcruxes, the Hallows, Dumbledore's grand plan, Snape's true allegiances, and surviving the Killing Curse...again.

Ginny silently listened to everything he had to say and when he was finally finished she said, "I love you."

Bleary-eyed, Harry responded, "I spent nearly a year without you in my life. I never want to be parted from you again. I love you."

They kissed long and hard. Harry's fingers entwined themselves in Ginny's blazing hair as her arms wrapped around his neck. He was acutely aware of her body against his own. It was a sensation he hadn't experienced in so long, he'd almost forgotten what it felt like. Almost.

The door burst open and Harry had to pull Ginny out of the way from the mass of red and brown hair falling over the threshold. Ron and Hermione looked at Harry and Ginny quite aghast. They stayed that way until Ginny started to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. The other three quickly agreed with her assessment of their predicament.

Ginny and Hermione left together to assuage Mrs. Weasley's suspicions, which left Harry and Ron alone momentarily.

"Hey, mate, have you been crying?" Ron asked him

Harry looked at his shoes. "Wailing is probably a more accurate description," he admitted.

Harry suddenly found he was caught in Ron's embrace. He couldn't do anything else, so he returned Ron's gesture.

"It's not your fault, you know that, don't you?" Ron asked as he held him close.

Harry gently pushed away from Ron and looked his friend in the eye. "Don't worry, I'll figure that out eventually," he answered.

Ron smiled and put an arm around Harry's shoulders. "C'mon, I think Percy's had enough butterbeer to actually start dancing."

--

Harry decided to sleep at Hogwarts that night. He didn't think it would be a good idea to sleep under the same roof as Ginny, unless he wanted to end up like Bellatrix Lestrange in the morning. Besides that, The Burrow was overcrowded with family, friends, and people who had had too much to drink to Apparate home without splinching themselves.

Twelve, Grimauld Place had been swarming with reporters since Voldemort's downfall. Harry wasn't ready to face them yet. He had been heartened to hear, however, that Rita Skeeter had suddenly left the country. Anyone who had spoken against Harry or Dumbledore had basically been ostracized in decent wizard society. Skeeter had smeared both men's reputations on more than one occasion.

That left Hogwarts as Harry's only refuge. The place was still far too protected for any uninvited guests to slip in. Almost all of the teachers were living there through the summer to help rebuild the place, which was no small task considering all the Dark Magic that had been unleashed on the ancient bastion.

Harry used his invisibility cloak to go through Hogsmeade and even in the castle so as not to attract the attention of Filch or any of the professors who weren't at Fred's funeral. He only removed the cloak when he reached the Fat Lady.

"Password?" she asked wearily.

It was too simple. "Panthera leo," he answered and the portrait swung open.

He hurried up to the boys' dormitory and changed into his pajamas. He started to crawl into bed, but the place was too quiet. Instead, he grabbed a blanket and took it down to the common room where he lay down on the sofa. There, at least, he could listen to the portraits snoring.

A few hours later, Harry's eyes opened wide. The fire had reduced to a smolder and the common room would have been in utter darkness if not for the moonlight. Someone had entered the common room and was creeping along behind him. Harry wrapped his fingers around his wand and stealthily pulled it out from under his pillow.

"Lumos Maxima!" he yelled pointing his wand in the direction of the intruder.

A girl screamed, "Harry put that out! It's only me!"

Harry put on his glasses and upon clearly seeing Hermione, he said, "Nox. What are you doing here?"

Hermione didn't answer right away. Harry examined her in the light of the moon. Her hair seemed more frazzled than usual and she wasn't wearing the dress robes she had had on earlier. Instead, she had on a pair of jeans and what Harry could only surmise was one of Ron's Chudley Cannons t-shirts.

"Mrs. Weasley didn't catch you and Ron snogging, did she?" he asked quickly. "Did she throw you out of the house?" Harry didn't think Mrs. Weasley would do such a thing, but he'd only rarely seen her truly angry.

Hermione rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "No and no," she answered. "Got any more questions?"

Harry's eyes hit upon a dark spot on Hermione's neck and he couldn't contain his smile. "What's that?" he asked.

"What's what?"

"That?" Harry asked touching the end of his wand to the spot.

"Ow!" she cried out at the touch of Harry's wand to her skin. Then realization seemed to dawn on her face. "Oh, no!"

Harry doubled over in laughter as Hermione ran past him to the dormitories. When he regained control of himself, he followed her up the stairs. He knocked on the door of the girl's dormitory and said, "I'm sorry I laughed at you, Hermione. Please tell me what happened?"

Harry had become very good at apologizing to Hermione over the last seven years. When she didn't answer, he pointed his wand at the lock on the door and said, "Alohomora."

As he walked through the door, he realized he had never been in the girls' dormitory before.

"Why aren't you sliding down the steps back toward the common room?" she asked haughtily.

"Search me," he answered remembering how the castle had once ejected him and Ron from the girls' doorway. "Maybe it's because we're both of age now."

"Or maybe it's because we're not technically students anymore," Hermione said as she sullenly sat down on her bed. "I can't get it to go away."

Harry smiled sheepishly. "Well, some people think of it as a badge of honor," he said encouragingly.

Hermione glared at him. "For a boy maybe!" she answered angrily.

Harry's cheeks reddened. He cautiously took a step into the room. For all he knew, the floor could drop from underneath him and eject him from the room that way. When it became obvious he wasn't going to plummet to his death, he sat down next to Hermione on her bed.

"What happened, Hermione?" he asked finally. "Why are you here with a love-bite and one of Ron's t-shirts at four o'clock in the morning?"

"It's not what you think," she started.

Harry's eyes widened in mock surprise. "What _am_ I thinking, Hermione?"

She glared at him. "Someone spilled butterbeer all over me after you left, so Ron lent me this shirt," she explained.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "If you couldn't get the stain out, why didn't you borrow some of Ginny's clothes?"

Hermione looked as though the idea had never occurred to her. Harry's grin felt permanently plastered to his face. "Question: did you change in front of Ron?" he asked.

"He turned his back," she answered defensively.

"Oh he looked, Hermione," Harry told her.

"How would you know?" Anger was creeping into Hermione's tone.

"There's not a man alive who _wouldn't_ look while a woman is undressing in his presence," Harry insisted.

Hermione crossed her arms and looked away from him angrily. After an uncomfortable silence, Harry said, "Well, that explains the t-shirt. How do you explain this?"

He indicated the dark spot on Hermione's neck and she quickly batted his hand away. Harry continued to stare at her hoping it would convince her to continue. Finally she sighed and said, "Well, Ron and I were alone in his room, and everyone was still outside and it was dark and..."

"It's okay," Harry said sympathetically. "You don't have to tell me. I get the idea."

"It's just that I don't...well, I don't want you to think...nothing...well..."

"Hermione," Harry said as he grabbed her shoulders and made her look at him, "you do _not_ have to tell me if you don't want to."

Hermione took a deep breath and Harry loosened his grasp on her. "Nothing happened," she admitted. "Not that it _couldn't_ have happened, it just _didn't_. Ginny came in around midnight saying something about her room being full of distant relatives. George and Fr-I mean Percy stumbled in not long after that."

Harry flinched at the near mention of Fred's name. It did seem strange to think of George without his other half. "It wasn't exactly a romantic setting was it?" he asked jokingly.

"No," Hermione answered with the slightest hint of a smile. "But Ron and I did make the mistake of falling asleep on his bed while the others huddled together on the floor."

Harry's face twisted into a look of complete shock. "Oh, Hermione, you didn't," he said in utter disbelief. "What did Mrs. Weasley do when she found you?"

"Well," she began, "she screamed loud enough to wake the dead and certainly everyone in the house. She was ready to throw Ron out on his ear until Ginny assured her that nothing had happened between us. She was still threatening to make him sleep in the chicken coop, though. I shudder to think what would have happened if she had seen this." She rubbed the dark spot on her neck. "Well, anyway, I told her I would come back here for the night. She was still pretty angry, though."

Harry laughed. "Ron probably slept in the chicken coop, anyway. I'm glad I decided to come back when I did."

"Would you have slept with Ginny?" Hermione asked him.

Harry's eyebrows arched upward. "We're being a bit more than frank, aren't we?"

"You become quite frank with someone when you've spent nine months tramping across England with them," Hermione answered in her most matter-of-fact tone. "Speaking of which, I really should unpack our things."

At that, she reached under her pillow and pulled out the beaded bag Harry had become accustomed to seeing over the past months. With effort she pulled Harry's rucksack out and tossed it to him. She then pulled out the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black who was quite put out at being awoken at such an hour.

Hermione smiled as Phineas hollered about the importance of a good night's sleep. "I believe this is yours as well," she said to Harry, holding the portrait out to him.

Harry took the frame and shouted Phineas down saying, "Go sleep in the Headmaster's office, then!"

Phineas blinked at him and then disappeared out of the frame. Harry sighed. "I am _not_ looking forward to hanging him up when I go back to Grimauld Place."

"Oh, he won't be so bad," she told him. "Besides, he came in quite handy didn't he? Without him, Snape wouldn't have been able to lead us to the sword of Godric Gryffindor." After a moment she said, "When do you think you'll go back to Grimauld Place?"

"I don't know," Harry answered as he stuffed the dirty clothes Hermione had placed in front of him in his rucksack. "I suppose when all of the reporters abandon the place."

Hermione withdrew the entire length of her arm from the bag and smiled at him sympathetically. "Oh, Harry, they're not likely to do that. Pick the most honest one you can find and give them an exclusive interview. Or better yet, write down all of our adventures and publish them in a series of books."

"Like Gilderoy Lockhart?" Harry asked sarcastically.

Hermione just laughed. Harry watched her another minute or so before saying, "Why are you folding your clothes back up? Are you planning on going somewhere?"

Hermione gave a non-committal jerk of the head.

Hoping to get more out of her, Harry continued, "I hear McGonogall is organizing crammers this summer so the fifth and seventh years can take their O.W.Ls and N.E.W.Ts. I thought sure you'd stay around for that."

Hermione looked up at him. Her eyes were glistening with tears. Harry's own eyes widened in surprise at the sudden show of emotion.

"It's my parents, Harry," she told him. "I modified their memories and sent them off to Australia. Now that Voldemort's gone, it's safe to bring them home. I just have to find them first."

"Well, you're not going alone," Harry told her with a little more force than he had originally intended.

She whipped her hair around defiantly. "They are _my_ parents and _my_ responsibility, I have to do this alone."

Harry grabbed her wrists and stopped her stuffing clothes back into her bag. "You are _never_ alone, Hermione. Do you understand me?" He shook her to make his point clear.

"Look," he began again more gently, "in the morning, or, rather in the afternoon, we'll all get together and we'll make a plan to find your parents. "You should know you're not alone, Hermione, you've said it to me enough times."

Hermione smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're a good friend, Harry," she told him.

"I try," he answered. "Now get some sleep. I'll be downstairs if you need me."

The moment Harry's foot crossed the threshold, the steps disappeared and Harry was tumbling head first down a stone slide. A few seconds later he was sprawled on the red carpet of the Gryffindor common room. He groped around for his glasses until he heard a familiar voice saying, "Occulus Reparo." Hermione handed him his glasses and quickly ran back up the stairs. Harry could hear her giggling the whole time.


	2. Chapter 2

"Harry?"

He sat bolt upright so fast, the owner of the voice quickly backed away, tripped over the leg of a table and hit her head on the edge of a nearby chair.

"Ginny, are you all right?" Harry asked as he shoved his glasses on his face.

"I think so," Ginny answered rubbing a spot on the back of her head.

Harry gently took her arms and helped her to stand. When she was standing, Harry still held onto her. Their fingers entwined and he bent his head down to hers and said, "Good morning."

Ginny moved her head at the last moment and their lips only brushed together for a short moment. Harry looked at her. She had a mischievous twinkle in her eye that Harry generally only saw in Fred or George.

"More like good afternoon, Mr. Potter." Her voice was mockingly stern.

Harry glanced at the clock on the mantel. It was nearly two o'clock and bright sunshine flooded the common room.

"Well, I...uh...didn't sleep too well," Harry said weakly.

"You didn't sleep too well?" Ginny asked, still teasing. "Mum woke me up at two in the morning screaming at Ron and Hermione. Speaking of which, is Hermione around anywhere?"

Harry gave up trying to get a kiss. "She was in the girls' dormitory last night, or this morning, or whenever it was," he answered.

Ginny started toward the stairs and Harry let go of her hands. He was quite surprised when she turned back around and kissed him full on the mouth. "Good morning," she whispered in his ear.

Harry stared at Ginny as she raced up the stairs to the dormitories. He decided Ron was right; girls were mental, wonderful, but completely mental. He took the stairs to the boys dormitory two at a time. He quickly stripped off his pajamas and grabbed the first pair of jeans he could find in the pile of clothes next to his bed. He had barely had time to pull them on and button them when the door flew open.

"Ginny, what are you--"

"Hermione's not in the dormitory," she told him. "I'm not sure if her bed has been slept in."

Harry's eyes widened. Had Hermione gone to Australia without them? "The bag? Did you see her beaded bag?" he asked desperately.

Ginny shook her head.

"C'mon, we've got to find her before she does something stupid," Harry said as he rushed out the door.

"Harry," Ginny called after him, "while I really don't mind, I don't think you should wander around the castle without your shirt on."

Harry flushed and he saw the glimmer in Ginny's eye he figured he was going to have to get used to. He pulled the first t-shirt to come to hand over his head. He then took Ginny by the hand and ran toward the portrait hole.

"Harry, calm down," Ginny told him a few moments later. "We should start in the library. She's probably just studying."

Harry stopped and looked at her. "Ginny, she was talking about going to Australia alone last night," he told her quite loudly.

"Did she promise you she'd stay?" Ginny asked.

"Yes."

"Then she hasn't left," Ginny reasoned. "Hermione keeps her word, Harry. I know you've gotten used to fear, but that's no reason to give into it."

Harry took a deep breath. "You're right, she's probably in the library."

They set off for the library at a far more leisurely pace. Harry took controlled, deep breaths as Ginny squeezed his hand. His head swam with a dozen different thoughts. He suddenly realized he had no idea what he was going to do after they got back from Australia. The idea of being an Auror still attracted him, but that didn't seem like the safest thing for the master of the Elder Wand to be doing. Writing a book seemed like a good idea, but he would definitely need Hermione's help to do it.

"Luna! When did you get here?"

Ginny's voice broke Harry's silent reverie. Luna Lovegood was indeed standing right in front of them. Harry wondered to himself how Luna had managed to find a dress covered in plaid polka-dots. He had seen her briefly at Fred's funeral, but they hadn't really spoken since the end of the battle.

"I came with Ron about half an hour past," Luna answered in her usual airy tone.

"Have you seen Hermione?" Harry asked suddenly.

"Yes," Luna answered. "She and Ron went off together. I don't know what they're doing, but I doubt they're hunting crumple-horned snorkacks."

Ginny giggled, but Harry stared at Luna in surprise. "Luna, did you just make a joke?" he asked.

"I did," she answered, smiling. "Was it any good?"

"Brilliant," Harry answered.

"I told you Hermione was okay," Ginny said, poking Harry in the ribs with her elbow.

"Are you really going to Australia?" Luna asked Harry.

"_You're_ going to Australia?" Ginny asked. "I thought you said _Hermione_ was going to Australia."

Harry suddenly felt like a cornered animal. "Well," he began, "_we're_ going to Australia."

"Who is we?"

Harry hoped the flash of red in Ginny's eyes was just a reflection from her hair. "We're just going to find Hermione's parents," he explained weakly. "I don't think we'll be gone very long."

"Were you ever going to tell me?" Ginny asked angrily.

"Well-I-" Harry suddenly wished the teachers hadn't restored the protections keeping people from apparating off the Hogwarts grounds.

"What happened to never wanting to be parted from me?"

"Ginny, I just want to help my friend!"

"Can I go with you?"

Harry and Ginny had forgotten Luna was there. She was staring at them, her eyes wider than usual and her mouth curled into a little smile.

"What?" Harry asked, unsure of what he'd heard.

"Can I go with you?" Luna repeated.

"Where?" he asked.

"To Australia, of course."

"Well, it's not entirely my decision," Harry answered, feeling cornered once again.

"Of course you can come with us, Luna," Ginny said.

"Ginny, you-" Harry started.

"I'm coming with you, Harry Potter."

Harry marveled at how much Ginny looked like her mother at that moment, and decided it would be in his best interest not to disagree with her.

"What are you three just standing around for?" a familiar voice asked from above them.

They looked up and saw Neville Longbottom leaning over the railing from the next floor up. His face was still quite bruised from the battle and the evil encounters he had had his last year in school, but he was wearing a wide grin that almost completely diminished his haggard appearance.

"We're all cleaning up the battlements on the outer walls," he told them. "Hermione sent me to find you. She thought you might be worried about her."

The news quite surprised Harry. "Ron and Hermione are helping you clean up the battlements?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yeah," Neville answered.

"How disappointing," Ginny said, echoing Harry's thoughts. Neville's forehead furrowed in confusion.

"I'll be right up, Neville," Luna said, skipping toward the stairs. Harry and Ginny quickly followed.

"Follow me," Neville said as they approached him. "I know some shortcuts."

Neville led them into what was apparently a broom cupboard and then opened a hatch in the ceiling. A ladder came down and Neville motioned for the rest of them to follow him up. The tunnels Neville was leading them into were so small they had to crawl through them. Harry had never even been aware of them, and apparently so had very few others. The place had obviously been the home of rats and crows for the last few centuries.

"How on earth did you find these things?" Harry asked after a minute or so.

"Well, the Army had to find a way to sneak around the castle, and I discovered these tunnels one day when I was running away from the Carrows," Neville explained. "They shorten a lot of distances, which is convenient, if you don't mind crawling."

Harry squinted at the bright sunlight when they finally emerged from the tunnels. His eyes shot wide open, however, when he heard a woman screaming. The four of them were soon standing on the battlements, wands at the ready. Harry gaped at what he saw; Ron was holding Hermione by the waist and was attempting to force her over the side of the wall. Hermione was desperately kicking and shoving against him.

"Harry!" Hermione screamed when she saw them. "Harry, he's been Imperiused! He doesn't know what he's doing!" Her shoes were slipping on the stone as she struggled against Ron.

Harry immediately found the source of the Imperious Curse; it was Draco Malfoy, and he was sneering evilly at them. Before Harry could stop her, Ginny sent a Stunning Spell at Malfoy. Malfoy collapsed and the Imperious Curse broke, but Ron fell backward in a daze and Hermione slipped over the edge of the wall. The world slowed to a snail's pace. Ginny screamed in horror. Harry reached for Hermione, but her fingers only brushed against his.

"_Wingardium Leviosa!_"

Hermione stopped falling. She was floating gracefully back toward the top of the battlements thanks to Luna's levitation spell. Hermione threw her arms around Luna once she was standing on solid ground again. "Thank you! Thank you!" she said fervently.

"It's all right," Luna answered calmly. "Levitation is one of the wizard's most rudimentary skills."

"Wha-What happened?" Ron asked trying to stand.

Hermione pulled him up and said, "You were Imperiused."

"What?!"

Neville had hoisted Malfoy up by the collar. Harry had his wand pointed directly under Draco's chin. Draco was giggling maniacally at them and muttering about Mudbloods.

"He's drunk," Harry announced after taking a short whiff.

"That's not an excuse for trying to drop people off the sides of buildings," Ginny said angrily. "He didn't even have the courage to do it himself."

Draco lunged at Ginny, but Neville hit him with the full-body-bind. Harry grabbed him before he fell and said, "Why are you doing this, Malfoy? You've lost. There's no point in fighting anymore."

"Both of his parents were sentenced to a year in Azkaban," Hermione told them. "It was on the front page of _The Daily Prophet_ this morning."

They all looked at Draco pitifully. Neville released the full-body-bind and Draco fell to his knees, blubbering. Everyone moved away from him except Harry, who knelt down in front of Draco and looked him in the eye.

"You know," Harry began slowly, "Fred Weasley isn't coming back. Colin Creevey isn't coming back. Dumbledore, Snape; they're gone. Teddy Lupin's parents are never coming home to him. _My_ parents are _never_ coming back. _Your_ parents are coming back, Malfoy! You've got nothing to cry about!" Harry's voice had raised to a shout.

"What is going on here?" McGonagoll's voice cut the air like a knife.

Professors Flitwick and Sprout were quick on McGonagoll's heels. "Mr. Malfoy!" McGonogall exclaimed when she reached the scene. "What on earth are you doing here?"

Draco didn't answer, he just muttered incoherently.

"I think he's had a few too many nips at the firewhisky, Minerva," Professor Sprout said.

"Well, take him down to dungeons," McGonagoll said. "Perhaps Horace can get him dried out."

Harry stood up and got out of the way as Professor Sprout grabbed the back of Draco's shirt and pulled him up. Professor Flitwick followed them back to the castle, his wand out and ready for anything. Professor McGonagoll looked at the rest of them and said, "And just what has Mr. Malfoy been up to?"

"Nothing," Ron answered quickly.

Everyone stared at him.

"Look, he's just gone a bit balmy. I'd be the same way if I'd just lost everything I had in the world," Ron said defensively. "Besides, I just don't think it's a good idea to have all the Malfoys in the same place at the same time. They might organize a mass breakout or something."

Hermione looked at Ron as though he'd just hung the moon. McGonagoll, however, was obviously not convinced.

"Ron's right." Harry said it more for the benefit of his friends than for McGonagoll. "Maybe you can get the Ministry to put him under house arrest for a while, but I don't think he deserves to go to Azkaban for being a gormless idiot."

"Alright, Potter," McGonagoll said reluctantly, "if that's the way you want it."

"Thanks," Ron said.

"Well, I think the rest of you should continue cleaning up," she told them. "I need to speak to you privately, Potter."

Harry shoved his wand in his back pocket and followed McGonogall away from the group. When they were sufficiently out of earshot, McGonagoll said, "You need to be careful, Potter."

Harry felt quite confused. "What do you mean, Professor?"

"I understand you are planning a trip to Australia to find Miss Granger's parents," McGonagoll continued.

"Word travels fast," Harry said with the slightest trace of annoyance.

"I would advise you against it, Mr. Potter," McGonagoll told him. "Voldemort still has many supporters at large abroad. You would be putting yourself and your companions in grave danger if you were to leave the security of Hogwarts so soon."

"No offense, Professor, but I think Malfoy just proved that Hogwarts isn't exactly a fortress anymore," Harry answered.

"Watch your tone, Potter."

"I'm not in school anymore, Professsor," Harry protested. "I've spent the whole last year looking for cursed pieces of Voldemort's soul. Finding Hermione's parents should be a picnic after that. I'm not a child anymore, Professor, and I'm going."

McGonagoll looked as though she might explode for a moment until she heaved a great sigh. "All right, Potter," she relented. "Whatever you do, do it fast, and avoid the press at all costs, oh, and the Death Eaters. Voldemort had quite a following in Australia. And study. And make sure you're back here in time to take your N.E.W.T.S."

"But, Professor, I wasn't-"

"Be back here in time, Potter," McGonagoll ordered sternly.

"Yes, Professor," Harry answered.

"Well, get on with it, Potter!" McGonagoll shouted as she walked away.

Smiling, Harry turned back toward his friends. "Oi, Neville, have you got anything to do this summer?"

"Well, I've got to take my N.E.W.T.S," Neville answered.

"That's not 'til August," Harry pointed out. "Would your Gran let you go to Australia?"

"Australia?!"

"We're going to look for my parents," Hermione explained.

"I-I-I guess I maybe could," Neville answered uncertainly.

"Brilliant," Harry said. "Hermione, we've got a search to plan."


	3. Chapter 3

"Hold on, hold on, how are we even going to get to Australia?" Ginny asked after they'd spent half an hour debating on what they should take with them.

"We could fly," Harry suggested.

"All the way to Australia on a broom? No, thank you," Hermione answered.

"I don't think Thestrals would make it that far," Luna said.

"Thank Merlin for that," Ron said under his breath. Thestrals would probably always make his skin crawl.

"How would Muggles get to Australia?" Neville asked.

"They'd take an aeroplane," Harry answered.

Ron's eyes widened. "You're not getting me on one of those bloody things!" he protested. "There's nothing holding them in the sky."

"There's simple physics holding them in the sky, Ronald," Hermione told him.

"Anyway," Harry interrupted, "that would be far too complicated. We'd have to Confund every second person we met. Couldn't we just Apparate?"

"Well, I've never Apparated that far before, but it should be possible," Hermione said. "We'll need to decide where we want to start our search and then find a picture of a place near there. Preferably somewhere quite abandoned, so we don't attract attention when we pop in."

"What about the Trace?" Ginny asked. "Won't it still be on Luna and me?"

"You can just Side-Along with us," Hermione answered.

"But what if we need to use magic while we're in Australia?" Ginny posited.

"Does the Trace work in Australia?" Neville asked.

"I don't know," Hermione said, at which everyone stared at her in awe.

"Congratulations, Neville," Ron said sarcastically. "You've found a question Hermione Granger does _not_ know the answer to."

"I don't know the answers to a lot of questions, Ronald," Hermione said in annoyance.

"Well, they have a completely separate magical government, don't they?" Harry said. "They might have a completely different view on underage magic than the Ministry does in Britain."

"And even if the Trace does work in Australia, I don't think underage magic is the Ministry's top priority at the moment," Ron added.

The circle nodded solemnly. The Ministry was quite distracted trying to clean up Voldemort's extensive mess.

"When are we leaving?" Neville asked suddenly.

"Well, as soon as possible," Harry answered.

"I think Neville wanted an answer slightly more specific than 'as soon as possible,' Harry," Ginny chided.

"The day after tomorrow," Hermione said authoritatively. "That gives us enough time to plan and not enough to change our minds."

Two days later, they were packed and standing just outside the protected boundaries of Hogwarts Castle. Hermione had managed to stuff everyone's belongings into the same beaded bag she'd carried the entire year. They had found a picture of a hill just outside of Sydney and had decided to apparate there. Luna would apparate with Ron and Hermione, and Ginny with Harry. Neville was on his own. They waved to Professor McGonogall and Hermione counted back from three.

Harry felt his whole body compressing and Ginny's hand pressed firmly into his. The world spun out of control until it suddenly stopped. Harry was still holding Ginny's hand, but they hadn't landed on a grassy hillock; it was a busy concrete sidewalk. Harry was relieved when Ginny squeezed his hand, confirming the thought that she was still attached to her own hand. They did their best to stand up while people practically walked over them.

"Where are we?" Ginny asked, disoriented.

Harry quickly took in their surroundings. There was a great harbor on one side of them and a bloody great building on the other.

"Well, we're definitely not _outside_ of Sydney," Harry said, eyes locked on the building.

Ginny followed his gaze. "Merlin's beard," she whispered in amazement. "Dad made a model of that thing when I was little. He was amazed Muggles managed to build it without magic. It's called the, um..."

"Sydney Opera House," Harry finished. "Wherever anyone else is, it's a long way from here."

"Is that woman staring at us?"

Harry looked in the direction Ginny nodded. There was indeed a young woman standing on the other side of the street staring at them through the press of people. She looked as though she stepped away from a Renaissance faire gone horribly wrong. She wore a dirty, tattered dress over equally dirty, tattered jeans and trainers. Her hair was pulled back into a rough braid and wisps of hair came out on the sides. A strap of leather was slung across from her shoulder to her waist, and, this was the most alarming thing, a broadsword hung from the strap. The intricate wood and gold inlaid hilt peeked out from behind her left shoulder. Harry stepped protectively in front of Ginny. The young woman smiled mischievously at them in response and then, disappeared.

"Oh my God, she just apparated!" Ginny exclaimed.

"That she did."

They spun around and saw the young woman, sword and all, standing right behind them, arms folded across her chest.

"Who are you?" Harry asked her hurriedly.

"Marigold Morgan," she answered.

Ginny gripped Harry's hand tightly. "What's with the sword?" she asked.

Marigold smiled. "I keep it in trust, until he returns," she answered cryptically.

Harry arched an eyebrow. "How come no one's arresting you for carrying a bloody great sword around a major city?"

Marigold's smile widened. "Oh, no Muggles will be able to see it until its true owner grasps it once more."

"True owner?" Harry asked.

"Arthur," Marigold answered as though it were obvious.

"Arthur?" Harry repeated, laughing nervously.

"What is she talking about?" Ginny whispered to him.

"Are you trying to tell me that that thing is _Excalibur_?" he asked Marigold.

"I'm not trying to tell you," she answered, "I _am_ telling you. This is _Excalibur_ and it waits for Arthur's return."

Exasperated, Ginny asked, "What are you two on about?"

"Haven't you ever heard the legend of King Arthur?" Harry asked her.

"Of course she hasn't, Harry," Marigold said, "not from the Muggle perspective, anyway."

Harry started at the mention of his name. "How do you know who I am?" he asked her suspiciously.

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Scar," she answered as though she considered Harry a complete idiot.

"Oh, right," Harry said sheepishly.

"The day is fading," Marigold said. "We should go indoors."

"Wait, we have friends and we don't where they are," Ginny protested.

Marigold briefly took in their surroundings and then looked at Ginny. "You haven't brought a brother, have you?"

"Yes, actually."

"Would that be him up there?" Marigold asked pointing toward the roof of the Opera House.

A flash of ginger hair confirmed Ron's presence on the roof of the Sydney Opera House. He and Luna were easing their way down the roof in an obvious attempt to find a way off. Luna slipped and started sliding down at high speed. Ron grabbed her hand, but she pulled him along until he jammed his foot against one of the roof's many eaves. Harry winced when he saw the impact and Ginny yelped and held tightly to Harry's arm. Ron's scream pierced the air and passers-by looked around in fright. Marigold whispered an incantation Harry didn't recognize and Ron and Luna appeared in front of them. People walking on the sidewalk jumped out of the way and looked at the five of them in confusion.

"Get them up," Marigold hissed.

Harry hauled Ron up and Ron groaned in agony. His right leg was twisted and contorted in a grotesque fashion.

"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked Ron.

"I dunno," Ron answered, tears welling in his eyes. "She didn't appear with us."

"She probably apparated where she was supposed to," Ginny said.

"No," Ron protested. "I wasn't Apparating. I just side-alonged with Hermione and I still wound up on that ridiculous roof without her!"

People on the street were starting to stare. "We have to get inside!" insisted Marigold.

"Who the hell are you?" Ron asked, nearly knocking Harry over in his anger.

"I know who you are," Luna said, wide-eyed.

Harry, Ginny, and Ron looked at her blankly, but Marigold smiled at her. "Who am I, then?" she asked Luna.

"You guard the sword," Luna began, "awaiting the great Muggle king's return. You are Merlin's Heir."


	4. Chapter 4

It rained as they crept down backstreets and alleys. They couldn't go very fast due to Ron's leg, but that didn't stop Marigold from urging them on. Harry and Luna helped Ron while Ginny took up a rear guard and Marigold led the way.

"We have to find Hermione," Ron whimpered.

"I think he's losing it," Harry said as they tramped down some concrete steps. "Can't you apparate us, or whatever?"

"It doesn't work like that, Harry," Marigold answered. "Besides, I've never tried it with this many people before. Alright, we're here, let me take your friend."

Marigold had led them to the darkest, dingiest corner of Sydney and to a dilapidated tenement with no apparent ground floor entrance. There was only a rusty fire escape leading to the subsequent floors. Marigold draped Ron's arm around her shoulders and vanished, reappearing on the fifth floor fire escape.

"Come on, you three," she called down to them.

Harry sighed in frustration as he jumped onto the ladder. "Who the hell have we fallen in with?" he muttered to himself.

"She's Merlin's Heir, Harry. You should really be more respectful," Luna admonished him as she followed Ginny up the ladder.

Harry looked at Ginny. "What's Merlin's Heir?"

Ginny glanced at Luna before answering. "Well, I've always heard it as a myth, a bedtime story. It's said that once witches and wizards didn't hide in Muggle society and that the greatest sorcerer ever, Merlin, of course, advised a great Muggle king."

"That would be Arthur," Harry said as they reached the third level.

"If you say so," Ginny answered. "Anyway, this Muggle king disappeared and it's said that the heir of Merlin will always be waiting to advise him when he returns. I never thought it was a very exciting story when I was little."

"The Muggle version is far more interesting," Luna said.

"How so?" Ginny asked.

Luna's eyes brightened considerably. "Well, there are battles with swords, love, betrayal, incest-"

"Incest?" Harry and Ginny asked in unison, stopping in their tracks.

"Yes, incest," Marigold shouted down to them. "Hurry up, and get in here."

Harry, Ginny, and Luna quickened their pace. Harry heard Ginny mutter something derogatory about Marigold, and he couldn't say he blamed her. Marigold did seem to revel in her authority.

Harry looked around the dingy apartment. Several layers of paint and wallpaper were peeling off the walls. The boards on the floor were made up of all different woods; some were stained, some were raw, and others were even painted. The furniture looked like it had come out of a skiff. Harry was sure magic was the only thing holding together the couch Ron was laying on. But there were pictures everywhere. Some were in ornate frames, others were just tacked to the wall. Most of them were frozen in the muggle fashion. A rare few danced in the wizarding fashion. An extremely old wizard slept in a portrait as it leaned against the wall.

One wizarding photograph in particular caught Harry's attention. It was a copy of the photograph Hagrid had given him at the end of his first year at Hogwarts. Marigold Morgan had a picture of _his_ parents in a simple, but sturdy frame on _her_ wall.

"Where-where did you get that picture?" he asked, transfixed.

"It's not mine," she answered shortly as she laid down the sword, walked into the tiny kitchen area and withdrew a kettle from the cupboard.

Harry felt the blood rushing to his face. "Then why do you have it?"

She didn't answer. She just filled the kettle from the sink and set it on the stove.

"Why do you have it?" he shouted.

She lit the stove and turned to face him. "Please lower your voice," she said evenly. "There's an old man asleep in the next room, and the picture belongs to him."

Harry's mouth gaped open. "Who is he?"

Marigold shook her head. "I will not give the story more than once, so I will not tell you until I return with your friends."

Harry watched her in shock as she strapped on her sword and headed for the window. Ginny roughly pulled her back and said, "How exactly are you planning on finding them? You don't even know who they are or what they look like."

Marigold shook off Ginny's hand and stared daggers at the young woman. "I know more than you think, Ginevra Weasley," she answered.

Ginny flinched at the use of her full name. Harry moved toward her protectively.

"Oy, Merlin," Marigold called after she stepped onto the fire escape.

The ancient wizard in the portrait roused and sputtered.

"Keep an eye on this lot for me, will ya?"

"Hrmph," was the only reply she received.

Marigold smiled slightly. "And don't forget the kettle," she said before descending the steps to the alley below.

Harry stared after her, running his hands through his eternally mussed hair. "Luna, what do you know about this girl?" he asked hotly.

"Nothing," Luna answered simply.

All eyes trained on her. "I don't know anything about Marigold Morgan," Luna informed them. "My knowledge of her comes from the legends of Arthur and Merlin, which is generalized, of course." She sat down in the floor and leaned up against the precarious couch. "Merlin's heir is said to be one of the most powerful witches or wizards that will ever walk the earth."

Harry plopped down across from her and Ginny sat down next to him, ready to listen to Luna. She cleared her throat and continued, "The Heir will have knowledge of magic modern wizards dare not dream of."

"We could have used her help a couple of weeks ago," Harry muttered.

"No you could not!" the portrait of Merlin shouted at them.

Ron sat up so quickly, he fell off the couch banging his already bad leg against Luna's back. Luna jumped out of the way as Ron cried out in pain. Harry wrapped his arms around his nearly delirious friend and tried to force him back onto the couch. Ginny heard the teapot screaming and turned toward the tiny kitchen. She stumbled to a halt when she saw a bent, little, white-haired man removing the pot from the burner.

"Who are you?" she asked.

At Ginny's inquiry, all activity came to a halt. Ron stilled and held onto Harry as he caught his breath. Luna looked toward the kitchen expectantly. The portrait of Merlin even shut his mouth.

Ginny gently placed a hand on the old man's shoulder to get his attention. He looked at her and grinned. Wire-rimmed glasses framed his blue eyes. His white hair stuck out in the oddest places. There was something so familiar about him. Ginny returned his wry smile.

"Who might you be, young lady?" he asked her brightly.

"Ginny Weasley," she answered without hesitation.

"Ginny," Ron admonished, "you don't even know who he is. He could be a criminal or something."

Ginny raised an eyebrow at him, and Harry chuckled lightly and said, "Ron, I hardly think this man's a threat."

"You are quite right, young-" The old man's breath caught in his throat when he set eyes on Harry. He moved toward the younger man causing the young women in the room to rush forward to steady him. Harry was so startled, he let go of Ron, who, fortunately, landed on the couch. The old man placed a hand on either side of Harry's face and said, "James?"

Harry's eyes widened in surprise, and the old man shook his head. "No, no, those aren't James' eyes. Those are dear Lily's." He brushed some hair away from Harry's forehead revealing the lightning bolt scar. "Harry Potter," the old man concluded.

Harry glanced at the picture of his parents, and then looked back down at the wrinkled man holding his face. "Who are you?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

The old man smiled a toothy grin. "Dennis. Dennis Potter. Your grandfather."

A/N: I'm putting the note at the end b/c I didn't want to spoil any surprises. If anybody knows the actual (meaning by J.K. Rowling's reckoning) name of Harry Potter's grandfather, I would love to know it. I don't own anything pertaining to Harry Potter (except for the series in hardback and the movies) and I'm not making moola from this.


	5. Chapter 5

"Merlin's Beard, I have no idea how this could have happened," Hermione said as she and Neville ran from awning to awning trying to avoid the rain. "We should have _all_ materialized on the hill. It just doesn't make sense. And now we're lost in a big city. Finding them could be like finding a needle in a haystack."

"Hermione, look out!" Neville shouted as he pulled her back from a speeding car.

The car screeched to a halt and the driver hopped out. With a genuinely concerned look on his face, he asked them, "Are you all right?"

Hermione gasped and threw her arms around the man's neck. "Dad!" she exclaimed.

Neville winced when he saw the man's confused expression. Hermione also belatedly remembered her father had no idea who she was. She quickly let go and ran off.

"Sorry about her," Neville said quickly. "She's had a trauma. We'd like to thank you properly for not running her down. Any chance I could have your number?"

The man raised an eyebrow at Neville and backed away. "I'm afraid I have to leave, young man."

Neville angrily punched the air as he watched Hermione's dad bolt for his car. He then chased after his friend. She was crying in a nearby alley. Her tears mixed with the falling rain.

"How could I have been so stupid?" she asked no one in particular. "Of course he has no idea who I am. How could he? I erased his memory and sent him and Mum off to Australia. How ironic is it that the first person we find in Australia is the person we came here for, but now we can't even find our friends? This was a horrible idea."

"Hermione?"

"How are we ever going to find the others _and_ get my parents back to England? I'm not even sure I can reverse what I did."

"Hermione?"

"Harry should have never-"

"Hermione!"

"What?"

Neville drew her attention to the cloaked figures around them. Their faces were concealed. The wands in their hands weren't. Hermione and Neville simultaneously reached for their own.

"Don't even try," one of the figures said in a harsh Australian accent.

Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but Neville's voice said, "What do you want?"

Hermione raised an eyebrow at Neville's spunk. Her surprise quickly faded into fear as harsh laughter emanated from the cloaked figures.

"We want to hurt you to hurt him," a cloaked woman hissed.

"Who?" Neville and Hermione asked together.

"The Boy Who Murdered," a cloaked man barked at them.

"Harry Potter never murdered anyone, not even people who deserved it," Neville barked back.

"And he's not even in your little country," Hermione added.

"Oh, we have to disagree," the hissing woman said, coming closer and raising her wand to Neville's chest. "Crucio!"

"No!" Hermione screamed as Neville cried out in pain. She then heard the clank of metal and a ball of fire bowled the hissing woman away and separated she and Neville from their cloaked assailants. She silently thanked their anonymous rescuer as the cloaked figures fled.

"Neville, are you all right?" she asked, kneeling next to her friend.

He nodded, but said nothing. He motioned to the figure coming toward them. It was a woman in her mid-twenties dressed like a vagabond and carrying a broadsword in her left hand. The rain had failed to extinguish the flames, but when the woman plunged her sword into the concrete, the flames vanished.

"Thank you for helping us," Hermione said cautiously as she helped Neville to his feet.

The woman smiled slightly and replaced the sword in the sheath on her back. "You should come with me," she told them.

"And why in bloody hell should we do that?" Neville asked her once he'd caught his breath.

The woman raised an eyebrow and gave him a cocky smile. "Now Mr. Longbottom, profanity is no way to repay me for saving your life."

Neville and Hermione gasped in unison. "Who are you?" Hermione asked finally.

"Marigold Morgan," the woman answered, a slight smile gracing her lips. "You should come with me back to my flat. There's a Ronald Weasley there who I believe would rather like to see you, Miss Granger."

Hermione lunged at the older woman. Neville caught her arms and held her back. Marigold's serene smile stayed in place.

"What have you done to him?" Hermione demanded.

"I have done nothing but be helpful," Marigold answered. "I'm no death eater. Voldemort would have liked my head right next to Harry Potter's. Your friends are safe in my care. You are not as long as you remain at large in the city."

Neville looked at his friend uncertainly. "I think she's telling the truth, Hermione," he told her.

"We don't really have any choice, do we?" Hermione replied.

Marigold smiled at them and stretched out both of her arms toward them. "Take my hands," she ordered gently.

"Are we going to apparate?" Hermione asked as she followed the instructions.

"Apparating is too dangerous in this country," Marigold informed them flatly. "We're just going to move…very, very quickly."

* * *

"I-I…Grandfather?" Harry asked uncertainly. "I didn't know I had any grandparents."

"Oh, you weren't supposed to," Dennis answered as he hobbled over toward Ron. "It was all part of Dumbledore's plan to protect all of us. Let me see that leg of yours, young man."

Ron hesitantly lifted his injured leg as the old man sat down next to him. Dennis held the leg in his lap and lifted the pant leg to examine it. He withdrew a wand from an interior pocket of his sweater, touched the end to Ron's leg, and muttered a few words very quietly. Ron moved his foot experimentally.

"Do you feel any pain?" Dennis asked him.

"No," Ron answered, clearly surprised.

"I was a doctor at St. Mungo's. I should know a few healing spells. You can get up and walk on it if you want," Dennis told him. "I wouldn't suggest running for your life just yet. Give it a couple of days."

The four younger people looked askance at the slightly macabre nature of the old man's suggestion.

"I'll go make us some toast for tea," Dennis said as he stood up with difficulty. "Is that Marigold bringing back more company?"

"I certainly hope so," Ron muttered, walking lightly on his injured leg.

Harry followed the old man into the kitchen. "You knew about me?" he asked.

"Yes," Dennis answered simply as he rummaged through the cabinet.

"Why couldn't you have taken care of me? Do you know what I had to live through?" Harry asked angrily. He felt Ginny's hand stroking his shoulder comfortingly.

Dennis set the cups down on the counter but didn't turn to face his grandson. His shoulders slumped as he said, "I knew it all, Harry. I had to stay here in this hell-hole and do nothing while my own flesh and blood was in trouble because exposing myself would be as bad as exposing you."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Harry asked bitingly.

"He's talking about me."

They all turned to see Marigold stepping into the flat from the fire escape window. Neville and Hermione followed behind her. Ron and Hermione were almost immediately in one another's arms.

Luna stepped up to Neville and said, "I'm glad you're unharmed, Neville."

"I-I'm glad about that too," he answered nervously.

Marigold silently unbuckled the strap holding the sword to her back and set it next to the portrait. She shook the frame and the snoozing wizard sputtered awake.

"What is the meaning—"

"Shut it, Merlin," Marigold ordered him. "I need you awake to tell the story. Dennis, did these kids wake you up?"

"It's no problem, Marigold," he told her as he cut slices from a loaf of bread. "If I sleep too long, I'll die."

The young woman smiled slightly. "Go sit with your grandson and his friends. I'll finish in here," she told him.

"No. No!" Harry said at a high volume. "I need to know what is going on here."

"It's tea time," Marigold answered flatly.

"I don't give a _damn_ about tea right now," Harry argued, stepping closer to the woman. He was nearly a foot taller than her, but she didn't seem intimidated.

"I've had a difficult day, Harry Potter, and I want my tea," she told him coolly.

"You've had a difficult day?" he asked derisively. "We could have died today, and now we're stuck here with you. What's your game? How did you even know we were coming?"

During his rant, Harry grabbed hold of the smaller woman's shoulders and started shaking her angrily.

Dennis cleared his throat and said, "I'd be careful, lad. She doesn't need magic or that sword to kill you. And Minerva told us you were coming."

Harry looked at his grandfather in surprise. "You know McGonagall?"

Marigold took his moment of distraction and brushed his arms off of her shoulders. "Of course we know McGonagall," she told him angrily. "We're not Death Eaters. I've spent my entire life with the knowledge of dark wizards and I've known that they want me dead my whole life as well. Be grateful you've only had to deal with it for the last seven years."

"What is so important about _you_?" Harry asked her sharply.

"Harry, lad," Dennis interrupted, placing a hand on his grandson's shoulder, "you're not the only one with a destiny."

"Sit down for tea and you'll hear the whole story," Marigold told him. "Sometimes, Harry Potter, you have to shut up and listen."


End file.
